(Credit:
Schulte Design)
Who doesn't enjoy a nice warm fire crackling away when it's chilly outside? The primordial cave dweller hiding somewhere deep inside of all of us certainly understands the allure. As beneficial as drywall and glass windows may be to modern humans, there is one way in which our ancestors have us beat. When they needed heat for cooking and warmth, they built a fire, anywhere they damn well wanted to (noting proper ventilation first, of course).
Now, we as a modern society can finally honestly say we have equaled our ancestors by bringing the fire inside.
Similar to the portable Travelmate fireplace, the Firebo-x from German firm Schulte Design brings the fire to the table--or anywhere else you wish to put it. Designed for indoor and outdoor use, the portable fireplace creates warmth without residuals. The hinged top allows for foldaway storage when not in use.
Now that we have truly finally tamed fire, our inner caveman can be unleashed out of the kitchen or away from the barbecue grill. I'm not sure about the evolutionary wisdom of cooking slabs of meat with the Firebo-x, but it is pretty certain to say, that any civilized room will feel that much more, well, civilized with a safe, clean fire burning within.
(Via Born Rich)
Related story:
Conmoto's Travelmate is an expensive but portable fireplace.
(Credit: Conmoto)Sometimes space heaters just don't cut it. They can't be put on flammable rugs, they aren't romantic, and they don't produce warming flames unless they catch something on fire. For consumers who want to soothe the space heater blues, Conmoto's portable fireplace could turn up the heat--for a few thousand dollars.
Retailing for $3,300, the German-made Travelmate is a flue-less, smokeless fireplace contained in what appears to be a see-through briefcase made of steel (a sentiment shared by NerdApproved).
The flames are trapped between sheets of glass held in place by magnets. To get the fire going, one must simply remove one of the glass sheets, add bio-ethanol liquid fuel to the tank, and then strike a match. Once the glass is back in place, the result is a 55-pound portable fireplace.
We're not sure if it's legal to carry a burning fire in public, even if it is trapped in glass, so maybe this glorified space heater is best used in the home.
(Credit:
Spartherm)
As we were saying the other day, we're pretty much suckers for anything with a remote. And when the object it's controlling is a rotating fireplace, it immediately jumps to the top of the list.
Although fireplaces in general have increasingly become the targets of home entertainment trends, the focus is usually on their gadgetry rather than the hearth itself. But the aptly named "Diva" from Germany's Spartherm simply won't be denied the spotlight as it rotates at will to whatever position desired. Trender says the remote is optional, but come on. Can you imagine having to get up and turn this thing manually? Talk about ruining a Barry White moment.
(Credit:
Vok)
Interior designers have been doing their best to meld home media equipment and the fireplace, but to date most of the results have ranged from the awkward to the absurd--unless it happens to be in the back seat of a Hummer, of course.
But Germany's Vok may have changed all that, for it has had the audacity of combining an LCD TV, DVD player, PC, and Bose sound system directly above the hearth. Trendir says the entire apparatus--which can be made to order in oak, birch, or rosewood--comes in four sizes ranging from $23,800 to $31,500, accommodating screens up to 52 inches.
It's missing only one element that would make it the ultimate entertainment experience: a bar, naturally.
(Credit:
Cal Spas)
And you thought the iPod bed was weird. The collision of two consumer technology trends--iPod docks and media furniture--may have seen the ultimate mashup in the iPod fireplace.
Yes, you heard it right. Cal Spas, the purveyor of Marin County-style hot tub culture products, has done it again in offering a musical hearth complete with built-in speakers and iPod docking station. It's not just for looks, either. BornRich reports that this "Home Resort" piece puts out a full 65,000 BTUs.
But, believe it or not, there's some stiff competition. Why confine yourself to audio entertainment, for example, when you can watch TV in your fireplace as well? And when you feel get bored of hanging around the house, you can warm up while enjoying the multimedia fireplace in your Hummer.
(Credit:
Shiny Shiny)
This would be laughable if it weren't so sad, but apparently the "Plasma TV Fireplace" is here to stay. Picture House Cabinets has come up with a new version of its fully functional hearth that conceals a pop-up flat screen, according to Shiny Shiny, this one complete with marble finish (so classy).
We understand that furniture makers are struggling to adjust to the era of plasmas and LCDs, but this is nothing more than an exercise in poor taste. It's also an example of technological perversion at its worst, as described in the company's product literature: "Press the remote and the TV screen automatically lifts into view. Press it again and the screen magically disappears. You can use the remote to turn on the heat, adjust it and switch the fire on and off and even dim the brightness of the fire."
We've got a better idea. Why not just mount the TV on the wall and keep it tuned to a virtual fireplace?
(Credit:
Gizmag)
A lot of people seemed to like to idea of a remote-controlled H2 terrorizing their homes, so we got to thinking: These folks need a real one to go with it. But given their obviously discriminating tastes, it couldn't be just any old Hummer.
That's why this custom creation is the perfect mate: Not only does it have all the appointments of a fully loaded model, but it also has--get this--a fireplace and chimney, including a built-in flat-panel display to go with the oh-so-klassy white shag rug. Gizmag says this beauty was made for a German TV show by a Munich-based shop that "specializes in building outrageous American automobiles." (Ya think?)
We can already hear Barry White's Love Theme wafting through the cabin. Somebody, pass that bottle of Ripple.
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